Spring is officially here, and that means summer is just around the corner. So is the area’s biggest premiere event, and organizers are busy finalizing plans and gearing up for Livin’ Out Loud 2024!

The lineup has been set, and once again some of the most popular names in Christian music will be taking the stage at Lake Helen in Gothenburg. Livin’ Out Loud 2024 is set for Saturday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 18.

Headlining this year’s show will be award-winning band, We The Kingdom. We The Kingdom's story really starts with patriarch Ed Cash. Growing up in a family of faith, his dad taught Ed and his brother, Scott, to play classics like “Johnny B. Goode” on the guitar. The Cash brothers developed an early love for music, and Ed harbored dreams of one day being in a band.

That dream took a backseat for quite a number of years as Ed battled through teen years of alcohol and drugs, getting clean at age 19, and then writing music for other artists. Eventually, things fell into place for Ed and Scott, who collaborated with Ed’s kids, Franni Rae and Martin Cash, and family friend Andrew Bergthold to release their debut studio album, 'Holy Water', in 2020.

The title-cut quickly became a smash hit, rocketing to the top of the charts. 'God So Loved' soon followed and became the band’s second consecutive No. 1 hit—a rare feat for a new Christian act. The hit single, 'Child of Love', also topped the charts launching We The Kingdom into stardom - and setting Ed Cash on his dream path at nearly 50-years-old.

The band’s meteoric rise in the Christian music world did not go unnoticed, as they were named New Artist of the Year at the 2020 Dove Awards, and have been nominated for two Grammy Awards.

“We are beyond excited to be able to bring We The Kingdom to the Livin’ Out Loud stage this year! We have been trying to get them for the last three years and we finally made it happen,” said Livin’ Out Loud board member Ellen Mortensen.

Joining We The Kingdom at the 2024 outdoor concert event will be Tenth Avenue North, making a return visit to Gothenburg. Tenth Avenue North headlined the 2017 Livin’ Out Loud concert before the venue was moved to Lake Helen.

Tenth Avenue North started in 2000 when Mike Donehey, Jason Jamison, and Bryan Homan met at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida. The group needed a name for their band before a local show and figured the name of the street they lived on – 10th Ave. N. – was good enough for the first gig. The rest is history.

After two decades that saw them sell nearly 2 million albums, win multiple Dove Awards, a Platinum- and multiple Gold-certified singles, and build a catalog of hit songs, the band thought they had come to the end of their time together and were planning a farewell tour which was disrupted by the pandemic. Instead, Tenth Avenue North took a 4-year hiatus to refocus and regroup, and are now back and eager to hit the stage.

Tenth Avenue North hosted a “Welcome Back Weekend” on April 5-6, and the Livin’ Out Loud board said they are thrilled to have gotten on the schedule for one of the iconic band’s early return performances.

Along with award-winning performers, each year Livin’ Out Loud board member Koby Rickertsen manages to secure at least one up-and-coming artist right before they hit it big. Some of those artists from past years include Anne Wilson, Ben Fuller, Colton Dixon, and Zach Williams. This year that artist is Seph Schlueter, who burst onto the music scene just this year with his smash hit “Counting My Blessings”.

The Saturday lineup is rounded out with Tori Harper and Thunderstorm Artis. Then on Sunday morning, everyone is invited to gather back at Lake Helen for a community worship service, with music led from the stage by Tenth Avenue North frontman Mike Donehey, and a message from Roger Cooper.

Mark your calendars now - this is an event you will not want to miss!